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Thursday, July 11, 2013

Finding Ways To De-Stress

Since I have accepted I have issues controlling my emotions I decided to find ways to de-stress. I used to go to yoga frequently years ago
and remember it not only doing wonders for my bad back, but it made me feel so
good inside as well. Its pretty hard to explain, but I used to leave class
feeling a light heart and as if a weight was lifted off of my shoulders. I also
used to be a runner. In high school I ran track and I picked up running again
right before I got pregnant and never really got back into the swing of things
after giving birth.

I found myself with a day off during the week last week and thought it
would be cool to send my son to daycare so I could have the day to myself. I went
to the park for a run and when I was in so much pain I could barely move, I
sat by the lake for about 30 minutes to relax and recharge. It was nice. Introverts like myself need time alone to think, reflect, gather
our thoughts and recharge. I felt nice for a few hours but then I started to
feel like my old self again.

I took a couple of yoga classes and while it was great
getting out of the house for some "me" time, the pain in my neck and shoulders
from attempting a headstand didn't give me the “weight off my shoulders”
feeling I was hoping to have. The deep breathing exercises and meditation was pretty
cool and the studio I went
to is donation based which is great since I’m on a budget. While I did feel
good and relaxed for the remainder of the day, I still questioned if I were
doing enough to control my emotions.

It’s common knowledge that exercise does wonders for
the mind and body. It releases all sorts of good chemicals to improve our mood,
it builds and repairs cells which is great for those under a great deal of
stress or suffering depression and gives us more energy. I have decided to make
exercise an important part of my routine because who wouldn't benefit from an
improved mood and increased energy to deal with a toddler? While I know this is
important, I also know it’s not the answer to everything and I need to still
dig deeper to find the root of my emotional state.